One club that some may find helpful is the chipper. Hireko is introducing the Acer XK Chipper to it family innovative, game-improvement clubs. For those that struggle from just off of the green with a wedge to get close to the hole or keep the ball on the green, the chipper may help reduce strokes. One way to think of a chipper is a cross between a putter (the stroke), wedge (for control) and a 7 or 8 iron (for the loft).

The Acer XK Chipper combines the proper loft for those delicate bump and run shots around the green with the same weight and lie of a putter for precision accuracy. The ultra-wide contoured sole glides across either the rough or the close cropped apron surrounding the green. The gooseneck, over-the-hosel design increases the effective face area and eliminates the possibility of shanking the ball.

A chipper utilizes a similar stroke to a putter around the green rather than one where you would cock and un-cock your wrist with a longer swing arc of a wedge. Chippers should not be ever used as full swing clubs. More accomplished players will find ways of using different clubs and improvised strokes to chip and bump and run shots around the green. But for higher handicapped players or beginners who have not honed their skills or able to create a shot on command, the chipper may make a welcome addition to the bag.

A few things you should know about a chipper first. Number one, a putter grip is not allowed, you must use a standard non-putter grip as you would any iron or wedge to conform to the Rules of Golf. A model with two sides, like the Two-Way chipper, will not conform to the rules. But no worries, most golfers who carry chippers do not maintain a USGA handicap and play only for the fun of it.

For clubmakers out there, there are few assembly suggestions for the Acer XK Chipper. The over-the-hosel post might new to some of you out there. For one, the post is designed to fit inside a standard 0.370” parallel tip steel iron shaft or even a putter shaft that is not designed for long broomstick models. If using a parallel tip steel shaft, cut the tip as if it were a wedge to maintain the proper flex. Make sure when cutting the shaft to make sure the cut is square. If the shaft tip is angled it will create a slight gap that may be noticeable, so square the shaft tip with your belt sander against the platen or with a file if manual tools are your only resource.

The one bonus of an over-the-post assembly is you won’t need to abrade the shaft tip. However, you may still want to lightly abrade the post to ensure a proper surface for the epoxy for a lasting bond.

No belly length chippers! That would be against the Rules of Golf. Chippers must not be made any longer than standard length clubs of similar loft. In this case, a 7-iron length would be the limit.

One question that is quite often asked is “What length golf club a person should use?” This is very difficult to address as it is not always a black or white answer. A good example of this can be found when shopping for jeans. For example, a man does not purchase jeans based upon their height, rather two important pieces of information. If that person knows what their waist and inseam measurements are, they … continue here